"These divisions
were based on size, coat coloration, and use; by tradition, light-colored
mastiffs were used to guard flocks, in the belief that they would not
scare the sheep, and dark-colored ones to guard homes and to fight,
because they terrorized people. They were not 'breeds', as they are known
today, divided by registries and close adherence to standards." A
Dog's History of America Mark Derr
